Research Facilities

White Field

White Field Laboratory

Overview

The Hessert Laboratory for Aerospace Research - White Field, commonly referred to as White Field, is the newest addition to the Institute for Flow Physics and Control. This state-of-the-art 25,000 square foot facility features a conference room, model shop, and offices for 17 people. However, the real value of White Field lies in its research capabilities with the following laboratories:

Outdoor Testing Laboratory

Wind Turbines

The wind turbines at White Field include two JIMP 25 kW that are manufactured by Jonica Impianti, in Lazzano, Italy. The wind turbines have active pitch control to allow the blades to adjust according to the wind conditions. The capability to pitch the blades is unique in small wind turbines and important to our research because it allows the eWiND research group to model the same type of blade movements that exist in large scale wind turbines. The rotor diameter is 10m (32.6 ft), the hub height is 18m (59 ft). The maximum height reached is 23m (74.5 ft). Power is produced in the nacelle of the wind turbine by moving a number of permanent magnets past three coils of wire and transmitted down the tower via cables connected to the inverter cabinet located at the base of the tower. The inverter then transforms the energy that is produced into 480 volt three phase 60 Hz power that is synchronized and connected directly to the University of Notre Dame's main power grid. Each wind turbine is capable of producing a maximum of 25,000 watts of power with typical daily power production in the range of 5,000 to 8,000 watts per wind turbine per day.

Metrology Tower

The metrology tower located west of the two wind turbines provides data once per second on many aspects of the environmental conditions at White Field. The metrology tower has a 2 dimensional anemometer that measures wind speed and direction and three 3 dimensional acoustic anemometers that measure wind speed, direction, and wind angle. In addition to the anemometers the metrology tower is equipped with sensors to measure and record temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure. The metrology tower allows the eWiND research group to better understand the environmental conditions that are present when the wind turbines are operating and correlate these data with the wind turbine operational data.